1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a novel article for personal hygiene, and more particularly, a soap and sponge combination, and to a method for the simple and economical manufacture thereof. The soap is preferably generally spherical and coated with a foamed polymer, the combination giving the overall appearance of a fruit or vegetable with skin or peel. The coating not only serves as a potential sponge for cleaning, but functions as the "wrapper" that can be peeled off to reveal the soap.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the cleaning of human skin, soaps or detergents are used to provide an emulsifying action for dissolving dirt and keeping dirt away from the skin. However, in addition to this chemical action, a mechanical abrasive action is usually also required for the initial dislodging of dirt from the skin. Thus, in addition to the chemical action provided by soap, a mechanical element is required through which mild abrasive action can be imparted to the skin. This mechanical element is most often found in the form of a particulate abrasive such as pumice, or a material such as a cloth or a sponge.
Attempts have been made to provide a single article which provides both the chemical and mechanical actions. However, the articles available today require improvement.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,000 (Redeker) entitled "Multilayer cleansing bar" teaches a cleansing bar having layers of different cleansing materials. Redeker teaches that two kinds of cleansing bars are known. Soap bars are used for cleaning delicate skin. Scouring bars, which in addition to containing soap may contain large percentages of abrasive materials such as diatomaceous earth, clay, finely powdered silica, or volcanic ash, are used to clean areas such as hands exposed to more hard-to-remove dirt and grease than the rest of the body. Redeker addresses the problem of the need for having different cleansing bars for the different needs, and solves the problem by providing a single bar with, for example, one side formulated as a solid soap and the other side formulated as a scouring bar.
For the general cleaning of the body, and particularly the face, cloths or sponges are preferred over scouring particles. However, soap must be constantly reapplied to the conventional cloth or sponge. Attempts have been made to overcome this problem by combining the soap and the cloth or sponge into a single article. However, a review of patent literature reveals that combination articles proposed thus far are mainly functional in their appearance, expensive in their manufacture, associated with a number of detracting structural features such as VELCRO strips, glue layers, etc., or so primitive that they could easily be manufacture at home, such as by sewing a wash-cloth into a pocket for receiving soap.
Thus, there is known, for example, the article disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,640 (Anderson) entitled "Body wash pad for bathing". Anderson teaches a body wash pad for bathing, the pad being constructed of a decorative terry cloth outer casing and a water absorbent core, the casing having a terry cloth lined, closeable pocket for insertion of a bar of soap, the terry cloth lined pocket providing a moderate abrasive action. This article has a home-made look and feel.
Various combinations of soaps and sponges are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,506 (Dulin) entitled "Bar soap with structural core" teaches a bar soap for personal use having a soap shell and a structural center selected from an open celled sponge material or organic filamentary material such as water soluble oxycellulose polymers. The sponge core is revealed after the soap bar is reduced to a sliver, thus providing structural support for the sliver of soap, preventing breakage, making washing more effective and reducing wastage when only a sliver of soap remains. In an alternative embodiment, the core may extend to one surface. Thus, even in this alternative embodiment, the amount of sponge available for scrubbing the skin varies with use, from no sponge available initially to all sponge and no soap at the end. Thus, for effective cleaning, a separate wash cloth or sponge is required at least initially. Further, the soap bar requires a wrapper when displayed at the retail level.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,792 (Iffinger) entitled "Apparatus for a bar of soap and attached sponge" teaches a bar of soap in combination with a sponge for use in washing a persons body. The bar of soap is either adhesively bonded to the sponge or mechanically bonded to a plate or substrate which is in turn adhesively bonded to the sponge. The specification does not teach adhesives or methods for adhesively bonding soap directly to the sponge. The specification teaches melting soap, pouring the molten soap onto the first side of a substrate having anchoring projections, solidifying the soap around the projections, and adhering a sponge to the second side of the substrate. Since the substrate layer (or adhesive layer) insulates the soap from the sponge, it is not seen how soap can be transferred to the sponge during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,643 (Caniglia) entitled "Sponge for containing soap" teaches a soap and sponge washing device, for example, for washing the body in a shower or bath. The device includes a container forming an envelope for a bar of soap, discrete openings through to the container interior allowing water access to the soap and the facile exiting of lather for washing purposes, and a tab-like locking strip integral with the container material for locking the soap in the container. The device looks home-made and would not excite the interest of consumers.
WIPO Publication WO94/12088 (Harsveld) entitled "A soap and sponge combination" teaches the combination of (1) a sponge having a cavity for receiving a bar of soap, (2) a bar of soap seated in the cavity, and (3) a second sponge for capping the cavity after introduction of soap and secured by, e.g., VELCRO or other means. Again, the device is functional, home-made in appearance, and uninspiring.
WIPO Publication WO9724053 (Milo et al) teaches a washing system which comprises a cleansing agent and a separate reticulated sponge material. The sponge is preferably made of a synthetic polymer, preferably metallocene polyethylene, but may be polyurethane, polyester, polyethylene, polyether, polyester based urethane, base urethane, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyolefins such as polypropylene, silicate foams, ceramic foams, latex foams, and natural rubber foams and cellulose sponges. The cleansing agent is provided separately from the sponge, and is placed on the skin or on the sponge prior to scrubbing the skin.
Recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,794 (Chien) entitled "Structure of bathing container" issued disclosing a bathing soap container having two pouches spaced for the allocation of soap, a sponge or rubbing balls. The inner space is arranged to hold a sponge or rubbing balls while the mouth of the first pouch portion may be folded over to accommodate a smaller sized soap. Even though this patent is recent, the device appears primitive and homemade.
Separately from the above, there has been an increasing trend to make the bathing experience more relaxing and luxurious. This has been done in part by making shower gels and shampoos more herbal or floral. However, other than enhancing the natural fragrances, the product remains primitive in appearance, the physical form having remained unaltered.
There is a need for a revolutionary new product that solves the problems inherent in the soap art. The new product should have a unique appearance, should provide an attractive merchandising display, and should provide the bather with a new bathing experience.